Means for feeding tapered articles



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I MEANS FOR FEEDING TAPERED ARTICLES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed June 50, 1948 ATTO NEYS- Nov. 29, 1955 p, EcHH Original Filed June 30, 1948 a a 'II||||||.... Wi l MEANS FOR FEEDING TAPERED ARTICLES EIMER ET AL 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 lull mul -h INVENTORS.

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)Fzcmaea Ban/6 NIEANS FOR FEEDING TAPERED ARTICLES Paul R. Fechheimer, Richard Being, and Leonard F. Frederick, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignors to The Karl Kiefer Machine Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, at corporation of Ohio Original application June 30, 1948, Serial No. 36,006. Divided and this application November 25, 1952, Serial No. 323,538

6 Claims. (Cl. 198-34) This is a division of our copending application Serial No. 36,006, filed June 30, 1948, and now Patent No. 2,628,703, and entitled Means for Feeding Tapered Articles.

Our invention has for its primary object the provision of mechanical means which will feed articles and deliver them singly to operating mechanism or a work station, in spite of a downwardly tapered configuration of the articles themselves. While our means are capable of use wherever the fundamental problem is encountered, we shall describe our invention in certain exemplary embodiments having to do with the feeding of containers, such as tapered tumblers, glasses, jars, bottles and the like, to operating mechanism which may involve cleaning means, filling means, capping means, labeling means and the like. For reasons hereinafter set forth the feeding of tapered articles has involved great difliculties, which difiiculties have never hitherto been satisfactorily overcome, so far as we are aware.

The fundamental object of our invention, and others which will be set forth hereinafter or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading these specifications, we accomplish in those procedures and by those constructions and arrangements of parts of which we shall now describe the aforesaid exemplary embodiments. Reference is made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a partial plan view of one form of our feeding device.

Figure 2 is a corresponding partial elevation.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3--3 of Figure 2 and showing the manner in which the articles arrange themselves.

Figure 4 is a partial perspective view of'another form of our feeding means. g j

Figure 5 is a corresponding partial elevational view.

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the lines 66 of Figure 5. j I

Figure 7 is a partial plan view of another form of our feeding means.

Figure 8 is a partial elevational view illustrative generally of the problem encountered with downwardly tapered articles, when ordinary feeding means are employed.

In the customary method for feedinglcontaine rs automatically, the containers are placed on an elongated conveyor by operators or by a preceding mechanism. The conveyor ultimately brings the containers against a timing wheel or feed wheel, and produces an accumulation of contiguously disposed containers ahead of such wheel. Parallel guide rails are placed above the conveyor generally with only sufficient clearance between them to permit the passage of a single row of the containers without binding. The containers are, of course, urged toward the feed wheel by the drag of the conveyor engaging their bottoms.

Containers which are downwardly tapered or'are so shaped as to have in effect a base substantially smaller' than some remote upper portion of the container, can not nite States Patent successfully be handled in this fashion. Reference is made to Figure 8, wherein 1 represents the top of a conveyor upon which the articles 2 are placed. A star wheel or feed wheel is indicated at 4, and at 5 there is shown a pair of guide rails to lead the containers to the feed wheel as they move along the conveyor. It will be understood that otherguide members are located upon the opposite side of the line of containers 2.

Each container, as it moves along the conveyor, tends to tilt until its forward side is in contact withthe rear side of the preceding container. This tilt is cumulative, each successivecontainer in a direction away from't'he star wheel 4 tending to tilt more and more, where the containers are tapered, until finally a point'is reached at which the center of gravity of a container falls outside its base by reason of an excessive tilt. When this happens, the container tips over as indicated at 2a.

Placing a guide rail over the top of the containers does not solve the problem. If such a guide rail is so placed as to hold the containers with their bases flat against the conveyor, the containers can no longer pass freely vby apparatus and procedures now to bedescribed' Reference is made to'Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, wherein 1 again represents a conveyor of any suitable form understood to be moving from left to right in Figures 1 and 2. 4 is a star wheel or feeding wheel having a guide means 7. Guide rails on either side of the line of advancing tumblers 2 are indicated at 8 and 9. These guide rails may be made adjustable by adjustable bracket'mea'ns 10 on the rails 11 and 12 of the conveyor frame.

In the form of the invention shown in these figures the guide rails 8 and 9 are set parallel, are at a height between approximately /3 and /2 of the container height above the conveyor, and the distance between the rails is approximately 1% to 1 times the container diameter at-rail height. It is sometimes advantageous to provide lower rails indicated at 8a and 9a spaced from but parallel to the rails 8 and 9. Where these rails are added, this is done as a precaution against excessive side tilt if the initial adjustment of the main rails is improper or against misplacement of containers by the operators in placing them on the conveyor 1. In the ordinary operation of our structure, the rails 8a and 9a do not function to guide the tumblers.

We have found that when we separate parallel guide rails at the heights indicated, tapered containers such as the tumblers 2 may be successfully handled. The reason for this is that when the containers are moved forward by the conveyor and accumulated ahead of the star wheel, the normal rearward tilt illustrated and described in connection with Figure 8, is compensated for by a side tilt of the containers which has the effect of bringing their axes substantially into planes parallel to each other and transverse the direction of motion of the conveyor. The

- action which occurs will be clear from Figures 1, 2 and 3, wherein it will be noted that successive containers 2b and 2c tilt "laterally in opposite directions while maintaining line contact with each other. Certain of the containers tilt slightly forwardly and others slightly rearwardly, and the arrangement of the containers is such that their centers of gravity can at no time fall outside the confines of their bases. We have found that this mechanism and mode of operation is completely successful even at highspeeds, such as 200 containers per minute. e

When the guide rails 8 and 9 are set approximately 1% like parts have'been givenlike index numerals.

.indicated at 2i and 2 directon of motion of the conveyor.

to 1 /2 timesthe containerdiameter at the rail height, the star wheel 4 is still capable of forcing the containers into single'file, as illustrated. 'Wehavefound, 'however,'that it is satisfactory to configure the guide rails so that at the star wheel, their distance apart is only suflicient topass a single file of containers with a slight clearance such as of'an inch. Since, as will'be clear.from FigureS, the cumulative tilt of a plurality of containers .is required before the last container tipsover, a narrowing of the guides adjacent the star wheel is not objectionable.

A modifiedarrangementis indicated in Figure 7 where Here, however, guide rail elements 13 and 14 are no longer parallel,'but taper from a position adjacent the star wheel 4 at which theirdistance apart is that of the width ofthe containers plus properclearance such as Mrof an inch, to a position some three or four feet tothe rear. of .the star wheel 4 at' which their distance apart may be as much as 2% timesthe container diameter. In this arrangement thosecontainers nearest the star'wheel, such as thecontainers 2b and 2c assume the positions hereinabove described and act in the same way. As the guide elements 13 and14 diverge, however, a point .will be reached at which one container 2d can contact three other containers '2e,'2f and 2g. The tendency of any of thesecontainers to tilt.rearwardly is offset by excessive sidewise tilting of a pair of containers 2g and 2h; and the approaching containers thereupon assume a more upright position as This mode of operation is also completely successful and suitable for high speed operation.

The methods and apparatus described above are effec- .tive with tapered articles and articles of such shapes as to produce the net effect of a taper which is constant from article to article within reasonable limits. If containers are so irregular in shape that a relative constancy of taper is not encountered, some difficulties may be encountered. We have developed anothermethod and apparatus which will'handle such containers, while being also satisfactory for constant taper as well as for articles with truly cylindrical or straight-sided bodies. This method and apparatus is.illustrate'd in Figures 4 to 6 inclusive, where 1 again indicates the conveyor with rails 11 and .12. Side guide members are indicated at .15 and 16;.but these rail members are arranged parallel to each other and a distance apart equal to the diameter of the containers at rail height, plus a suitable clearance such as of an inch. Aseries of freely rotating star wheel members, indicated at 17 .and 18 is provided, with alternate star wheels located at opposite sides of the line of containers 19. The star wheels'themselves. may be rotatively mounted on suitable'bearings in bracket members "2% attached respectively'to the guide: rails'15 and '16, or otherwise as desired. It will'be noted "from the figures that each container 19 is engaged between teeth of a pair of star wheels, each mounted at a different side of the path of travel of the containers. The circumferential pitch distance between the points of the star wheels 17 and 13 is substantially the same as the length ofthe containers taken parallel to the The thickness of the points ,of the wheels engaged respectively between containers is preferably substantially equal to the effective amount of taper of the containers between their shoulders and the points at which the wheels contact the containers.

'While it is preferable to have the containers move along thepath, as illustrated, with their shoulders touching, and with the points of the wheels filling the gaps between containers at .the wheel level, considerable leeway is permissible and it is possible not only to feed containers so shaped that their shoulders do not touch, but also to feed containers so shaped that the width of the teeth of the .star wheels 17 and ldat wheel level is not fully sufficient ,to fill the gapsbetween containers, providing the width is .sufiicient to prevent such ,a .cumulative tilt of the successive containers as would :bring the center of gravity of any oneof them outsidethe confines of its base.

The motion of the containers as they move with the conveyor "rotatesthe-star wheels 17 and 18 so that no drive is ordinarily necessary, although one may be provided if desired.

Since as illustrated and described in connection with Figure 8, it is possible to accumulate two or three containers without .encountering a situation in which any container will fall over, we have found that instead of providing enough of the star wheels 17 and lit; to have a star wheel tooth between each container and the next, we have found that the'wheels may be spaced a distance apart, along the length of the conveyor 1, equal to as muchas tWo or three containers, without sacrificing operability.

In the devices of Figures 1 to 3 and 7 adjustments in the specific transverse separations of the guide rail means may be made in accordance with specific tapers encountered, and this may be done also in the mechanism of Figures 4 to'6where. containers are being handled having so great a taper that the teeth of the star Wheels do not'conrpletelyfill the gaps, or where the star wheels areso separated that two or more containers lie between them.

Modifications may be made in our invention without departing 'from'the spirit ofit. Having thus described our invention in certain specific embodiments, what we claim as'new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Means for feeding tapered containers and the like comprising an elongated conveyor along which said containers are moved, and'rotatable star wheel means located along said conveyor at either side thereof, said star wheel means having'teeth'to enter between said containers on said'eonveyor and preventtilting thereof, said teeth being ofa width to'compensate for'the taper of the containers at the star'wheel heightwhile permitting said containers to contact each other 'thereabove.

2. Means for feeding tapered containers and the like comprising an elongated conveyor along which said containers are moved, and rotatable star wheel means located along said conveyor at either side thereof, said star wheel means having teeth'to enter between said containers on said conveyor andprevent tilting thereof, said teeth being of a width to compensatefor the taper of the containers at the star .wheel height while permitting said containers to contact each other thereabove, and side guides engaging said containers .above said star wheel means.

3. Means for feeding tapered containers and the like comprising an elongated conveyor along which said containers are moved, rotatable star wheel means located along said conveyor at either side thereto, said star wheel means having teeth to enter between said containers on said conveyor and prevent tilting thereof, said teeth being of a width'to compensate for the taper of the containers at the star Wheel'height while permitting said containers to contact each other thereabove, said star wheel means being so spaced apart and staggered that a plurality of containers can lie between any two of said star wheel means.

4-. In apparatus forfeeding tapered containers individually into a machine, a conveyor along which said container approach said machine, container contacting means locatedalong either side of said conveyor, said container contacting means including movable elements to enter between adjacent containers on said conveyor to prevent tilting thereofl said elements being of a size to compensate for the taper of said containers at the points of contact containers approach said machine, container contacting means located along either side of said conveyor in staggered relation, said container contacting means including movable fingers to enter between adjacent containers on said conveyor to prevent tilting thereof, said fingers being of a size to compensate for the taper of said containers at finger height while permitting said containers to contact each other thereabove, and side guides for contact by said containers above said container contacting means.

6. The structure claimed in claim 5 wherein said fingers are so spaced and staggered that a plurality of containers can lie between any two of siad fingers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Sterling May 13, 1952 Fechheimer Feb. 17, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland Dec. 1, 1920 Germany Sept. 21, 1922 Great Britain Dec. 9, 1926 

